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(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 G. F. GREEN. SUPPLY SYSTEM FOR ELECTRICRAILWAYS.

No. 504,977. Patented Sept. 12, 1893.

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G. F. GREEN. SUPPLY SYSTEM FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS. No. 504,977. PatentedSept. 12, 1893.-

(No Model.) 5 SheetsSheet 5 G. F. GREEN. H SUPPLY'SYSTEM FOR ELBGTRIURAILWAYS. No. 504,977. Patented Sept. 12, 1893;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE F. GREEN, OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO OLIVERS. KELLY, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO; MARTHA L. GREEN EXECU- TRIX OF SAIDGEORGE F. GREEN, DECEASED.

SUPPLY SYSTEM FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 504,977, datedSeptember 12, 1893.

Application filed February 13, 1892. Serial No. 421,440. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. GREEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Kalamazoo, in the county of Kalamazoo and State of Michigan,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Railways,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in electric railways and itespecially relates to to improvements in the means for conveying anelectric current to a moving car.

The primary object of my invention is to dispense with the ordinaryoverhead conductors, commonly known as the trolley wire and to providemeans for forming an electrical connection between the moving car andstat-ionary source of electric supply.

My invention consists in the various constructions and combinations ofparts hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a view in perspective of aportion of an electric railway to which my invention has beenapplied.Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the 2 5 same. Fig. 3 is an end elevationof the same some of the parts being shown in section in each of saidviews. Fig. 4 is a plan view showing a modification of some of theparts. Fig. 5 is a partial sectional elevation of the 0 same, thearrangement of the circuits being illustrated in diagram. Fig. 6 is adetail in perspective of one of the stationary contact devices. Fig. 7is a bottom plan of the moving contact device in detail. Figs. 8 and 9 35 are respectively, an elevation and aplan showing a modification. Fig.10 is a detail in elevation of a portion of the same on a larger scale.Fig. 11 is a plan view showing in detail a further modification in themoving con- 0 tact device. Fig. 12, is a detail side view showing themanner of pivotally connecting the members 01, d, of theconductor F tothe standards 11 Fig. 13,'is a section-on the line 13-13 of Fig. 12.Fig. 14 is a detail sectional View showing the manner of telescoping thefingers d within the conductor F 3 and Fig. 15 is a detail view showingthe manner of pivoting the finger points f to the members (1 Like partsare represented by similar let ters and figures of reference in theseveral Views.

It has been common in operating electric railways to employa continuousoverhead conductor constantly charged with an electric current and to tornish the electro-motive force to propel a moving car through the mediumof a conductor on said moving car which moves in contact with 'saidoverhead conductor. The conductor thus employed, usually termed atrolley wire, cannot be insulated from the very nature of the work ithas to perform. Its use is therefore attended with considerable danger.I overcome this difficulty by employing a series of contact points orstations normally charged from a conductor which may be insulated and ispreferably laid under ground or in a suitable conduit at or near thesurface of the ground, the contact stations being removed from eachother and being so constructed that they may be insulated or protectedagainst contact with other wires or conductors.

In the drawings A A, represents a line of railway, B, a car adapted totravel over the rails a a, of the railway, which are preferably adaptedto form the return circuit for the electric current after it has passedthrough the motors on the car.

O O, are supporting posts arranged at suitable intervals along the lineof road and when .the railway occupies the street of a town or city, thepos'tvO, maybe placed at or near the curb line of the said street.Extending along under the respective posts 0, or in proximity thereto isthe conductor D, which leads from the stationary source of supply of thecurrent and which preferably passes through a conduit or subway D, belowthe surface of the formed in the nature of brushes 1), constructed ofcopper or other resilient metal and supported in a suitable frame I),connected to the supporting arm 0, and insulated from said armpreferably by means of a rubber sleeve 12*, located between said arm andthe frame I), the brushes I), being kept in electrical connection withthe conductor D, through the medium of a suitable connecting wire 0,which passes through the arms 0', and the post 0, to the main conductorD, the post and arms being preferably formed hollow for this purpose.

Located on the car B, is the contact device F, preferably mounted on topof the car and above the roof of the same and extended throughout thelength of the car for a considerable distance beyond the respective endsthereof, the length of the contact device or conductor F, being slightlygreater than the distance between any two of the normally stationarycontact devices E, so that one end of the conductor F, remains inelectrical connection with a stationary contact device E, until itcontacts with the next succeeding device.

From the contacting device F, a circuit is provided which includes theordinary circuit controllers, the motors which operate the car and thecar-wheels in the ordinary manner, so that any current received by thecond uctor F, can be conveyed in the ordinary way through the motors anddischarged to the rails in any well known and suitable manner.

To provide for changing direction passing around curves, &c., Ipreferably form the contacting conductor F, in parts jointed together insuch a manner that the several parts may assume different angularpositions withlreference to each other, so that the said conductor mayremain in electrical connection with the stationary contact devices E,on the supporting posts. I also preferably form the extending arms ofthe supporting posts of metal with acertain amount of resiliency topermit them to yield in any direction with the same end in view.

To further assist in bringing the moving conductor into electricalconnection with the stationary contact devices'l provide means forestablishing a magnetic field in the conductorF, adapted, as the conductor approaches one of the stationary contact points to cause therespective contact devices to be attracted to each other and thus insurethe contact between the same. This I accomplish by providingelectro-magnets G, the magnetic cores of which are connected to theconductor F, the coils of said magnet being excited by passing thecurrent which operates the motors through said coils before passing itto the rails, as illustrated in Fig. 5, a circuit controlling device Hbeing placed in convenient reach of the operator, by means of which thecurrent may be passed direct to the rails from the motor or through thecoils of the electromagnets G, as desired. When the controlling deviceis in the position shown in Fig. 5 the current passes from the source ofsupply through the conductor F thence down through the wire 1, throughthe motor, from thence to the controlling device H, through the magnetcoils over the wires 2, 3 and down the wire 4 to the wheels and rails.The magnets G are thus excited and operate to attract the conductor Fand brushes-E toward each other, it being borne in mindthat one of saidbrushes is constantly in electrical connection with the conductor F. Byswinging the controlling device 1-1 over into contact with the wire 4the magnets are cut out of the circuit which then passes directly fromthe conductor F through the wire 1 to-the motor and from thence to therails.

In Figs. 4, 5 and 7 I haveshown aconstruction of the conductor F, inwhich two central portions (1 d, are pivotally connected to supportingstandards (1 (i on the car and pivotally connected together at or neartheir centers by a pivot connection (1 which passes through a slottedopening d ,in one of the parts. Each of the parts (1 d, is formed hollowand is adapted to receive at its outer extremity a movable arm or finger(1 adapted to be telescoped into or out of the part d, and thus extendor reduce the length of the conductor F.

This movement of the fingers d is effected by ropes d and d (see Fig.5). The rope d is secured near the outer end of the finger and thenpasses over suitable pulleys to a point where it can be easily reachedby the operator. A slight pull on this rope d forces the finger into thehollow conductor F. The cord d is attached to the finger d? at a pointadjacent to its inner end, and passes over a pulley located near the endof the car roof. This cord serves to draw the finger outwardly to extendthe length of the conductor F. This may be accomplished by making thefinger d hollow and slotting it for a portion of its length, as shown inFig. 14, the cord 01 passing up through the slot and into the interiorof the hollow finger d and secured thereto near its inner end. Inpractice there will be provided two sets of cords d at, one at each endof the car, whereby the fingers (1 may be independently operatedaccording to the direction in which the car may be traveling.

I also preferably provide means for deflecting the respective parts d d,to cause them to assume different angular positions in making contactwith the stationary contact devices. This may be accomplished by theemployment of rope connections d al on each side of the conductor F, theends of which are connected to a rod or arm (1 depending from theconductor F, the said rope connections passing over suitable supportingpulleys d (1 to within convenient reach of the operator, so that thepivoted parts 01 d, may be moved laterally in either direction at thecenter to cause them to assume different angular positions as shown indotted lines in Fig. 7.'

In Figs. 8, 9 and 10 I have showna conductor F, of different mechanicalconstruction; In this construction I preferably employ a single bar 6,supported on standards 6', to which it is connected through slottedopenings 6 This bar is preferably formed of two or more different metalse e the upper part e being preferably formed of copper or some othergood electrical conductor and the lower part a, being formed of steelwit-h a certain amount of resiliency to permit it to bend or yieldlaterally in either direction. Rope connections e e, are extended fromthe respective ends of the flexible conductor to a point at or near themiddle of the length of the car but at one side of the same, therespective ropes e e and e e from opposite ends of the conductor beingjoined together at this point and attached to ropes e a which lead toopposite ends of the car in convenient reach of the operator, meansbeing thus provided by which the respective ends of the flexibleconductor may be moved laterally to cause it to assume the arc of acircle in passing curves or changing direction.

In Fig. 11 I have shown still a different modification, a central bar f,being in this case provided between the pivoted bars 01 d, as shown inFigs. 4, 5 and 7. I have also shown in this view and more clearly shownin Fig. 15 a pivoted finger f at the outer extremity of the telescopicarm d, and pivoted thereto, as at f adapted to be moved by the magneticinfluence exerted between the stationary contact device and said finger,when the coils of the electro-magnets are excited, as hereinbeforedescribed.

It should be stated that the supporting posts 0, and their arms, 0, arepreferably made of a tubular construction, the conductors which pass tothe respective contact devices E, extending through the hollow portionsthereof, said conductors being suitably insulated. The brushes 6, whichform the contact proper in the stationary devices E, are alsopreferablyformed of alternate strips of copper and iron or some other metalsusceptible to magnetic influences. I also preferably provide saidcontact devices with guide-wings b b which project downwardly at eachside of the brushes to assist in guiding the moving conductor throughthe stationary contact deviceand in contact with said brushes, theseguides as well as the frame which supports the contacting brushes beingpreferably made of iron or other metal susceptible to magneticinfluences.

The switch H, is designed to control the flow of current to the magnetsG. When said switch is open as shown inFig. 5 the magnets are includedin the motor circuit, but when the switch is closed, the magnets are cutout and the current will pass directly to the rails or ground.

It is obvious that various other modifications of the devices hereindescribed may be employed without'departing from the spirit of 'myinvention. I do not, therefore, limit myself to theexact constructionherein set forth, but

I claim, broadly, as my invention 1. In an electric railway, thecombination with asource of supply and with a moving car, of stationarycontact devices located at intervals along the line of railway andconstantly in electrical connection with the source of supply, acontacting conductor on the car adapted to successively contact withsaid stationary devices, electro-magnets for magnetizing said conductor,anda switch for cutting said magnets out of circuit, substantially asdescribed.

2. In an electric railway the combination with a source of supply and amoving car, of stationary contact devices connected electrically withthe source of supply, and located at intervals along the line ofrailway, and a contacting conductor on the car, provided with adjustablearms, and means for extending and contracting the length of saidconductor, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a source of supply, a moving car, and stationarycontact points located at intervals along the line of the railway, of acontacting conductor carried by the car, means for magnetizing saidconductor, and means for varying the length thereof,substantially asdescribed.

4. The combination with the source of sup ply, of a moving car,stationary contacts located at intervals along the railway,'a contactingconductor carried by the car and consisting of sections pivotallysecured together at their adjacent ends and sliding in pivoted bearingsat their opposite ends, and means under control of the operator foradjusting said sections laterally, substantially as described.

5. The combination with the source of supply, of a moving car;stationary contacts located at intervals along the line of the railway;a contacting conductor on the car; means for adjusting said conductorlongitudinally and means for effecting lateral movements thereof,substantially as described.

6. The combination withthe source of sup ply, the moving car and thestationary contact points, of a conductor carried by the car andprovided with telescoping arms; and cords and pulleys for adjusting saidarms, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 1st day ofFebruary, A. D. 1892.

GEORGE F. GREEN. Witnesses:

H. O. OSTER, FRANK WATT.

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